‘We have been botanising,’ observed Mr Ridsdale with the most innocent air imaginable. ‘And a pretty lot of rubbish you seem to have brought back,’ remarked Miss Pen. ‘Rubbish, indeed! And not one among them without a long and beautiful Latin name of its own.—Ask Archie.’ The vicar rose, and addressing the doctor, said: ‘Allow me the pleasure of introducing you to Miss Loraine.—Clarice, my dear, this is Dr M‘Murdo, a very old friend of mine.’ ‘I had the pleasure of being introduced to your sister this morning, Miss Loraine, and now the pleasure is doubled,’ said the doctor with a touch of old-fashioned gallantry. ‘I am happy to make the acquaintance of any friend of Mr Gaisford,’ answered Clarice with a smile and a little blush. ‘Mr Archibald Ridsdale—Dr M‘Murdo,’ said the vicar. The two men bowed. ‘A capital fellow to know, so long as you are in good health, Archie, but a fellow to fight shy of the moment you begin to feel yourself out of sorts.’ Suddenly a shrill whistle was heard. ‘Here comes the steamer,’ exclaimed Miss Penelope. ‘I’m going by it as far as Bowness. Any one going my way?’ ‘I will walk with you as far as the landing-stage, and see you safely on board,’ answered her brother. ‘That way will suit me as well as another,’ added Dr Mac. As the two men turned to go, Miss Pen drew Clarice aside. ‘Any news?’ she whispered. ‘None,’ whispered back the girl with a doleful shake of the head. ‘If Archie and I only knew the best or the worst! It is this suspense that’s so hard to bear.’ ‘It seems hard to bear at present, but it will be delightful to look back upon, by-and-by.’ ‘O Miss Penelope! how can that be?’ ‘Just now you are in the middle of the first volume of the romance of your life. Now, I should like to know how a romance can be worth anything without suspense, without mystery, without your being unable to guess what may happen from one hour to another.’ ‘Penelope, you will certainly miss the boat,’ called out her brother, who was already some distance away. ‘We will talk more of this anon, my dear,’ said Miss Pen hurriedly. ‘Meanwhile, don’t get downhearted; all will come right at the end of the third volume: it always does.’ And with a nod and a smile, the bright little woman tripped off after her brother and the doctor, and presently the trio were lost to view down the winding path that led to the landing-stage and the lake. POPULAR AMUSEMENTS IN GERMANY.